Sewer-pipe cleaner



Sept. 3o, 1930. A. E. WRIGHT 1,777,064

SEWER PIPE CLEANER Filed Nov. 7. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor v ftorny Patented Sept. 30, 1930 PATENT .oF-FICE A'UBERN E; WRIGHT, 0F NAPPANEE, 'JIBIIVDIANTAy- SEWER-PIPE CLEANER Application ledNovember 7, 1923. Serial No. 317,741.'

character adapted vfor the cleaning of-sewer` pipes. One of the; important objects of the invention isito provide a pipe cleaner of this character of a double ended construction whereby to enable the same to be drawn fore wardljT and Vbackwardly 'through the pipe p during the cleaning operation Vfor effectingl Wthe cleaning ofthe pipe during movement.

thereof in both directions. o

.A further object of the invention isr to provide means for adjusting the device for the cleaning` ofpipes of various diameters.

if* A still further object is to provide a device.

of this character embodying a plurality of substantially spirally shaped cleaning knives pivotally connected to each other intermediate their ends and with each pair of knives Y@ pivotally connected at their. ends to the adj a-v cent pair of knives and ,arranging said knives concentrically about an. adjusting` u screw whereby to adjust the ,knives radially into a p desired position for scraping the .walls of, 2m thepipe.

Astillffurther object is to provide' ak device of this character which embodies simplicity of construetiom durability, which may be manufactured at arelatively low cost and 30 otherwise well adapted forthe purposesfor which thersame isintended. Y

Other objectsandadvantages reside-inthe special construction, combination and arrangement of the various'elements forming 35' the inventionv as more fully hereinafter` described and` claimed, reference being had to the"accompanying drawings forming part with parts broken awayandf shown in sec-A tionand illustratinga modified `form of `guide shoefor the'ends of the knives', and

Figure 6 is a detail of the swivel connec-Vv tor provided for attaching aV pulling cable to` the ends ofthe various knives.

Referring now to the drawings inndetail, wherein for the purpose. of illustration'I have disclosedra preferred embodiment ofmyin'- vent-ion, the numeral 5V designates an adjusting screw oppositely threadedat thel ends" O and uponv each. of the; opp'ositely. threaded. portions-of which is arranged ankv adjusting spiderV 6. j

Each ofthe spidersaree adaptedzfor: longitudinal adjustment-on the respective*endsfofA G5 the screw and each spider isipvrovidedatits outer edge witha plurality of' pairs of spaced`T` apart lugs 7 between which the innerends' cfa-rms 8 aredisposed for pivotal connection .thereto by pins 19.

The .outer ends of thel arms-8 are.adaptedJ5 toY swing outwardly from a-position7 longitudinally withv respectto the screw `intoy afposition radially thereof `-and are'arranged withtheir outer ends disposed betweeny pairs 'off r5-` spacedparallel lugslOfor pivotal connection thereto by pinsv 11; Each'V pair of-flugs" 105 are castintegrally andare formed; with a shank 12 extending through` openingsformedf` in the crossedI ends of cuttingblades 13V and sa withthe outerl end ofthe shank-hammered: intoV a head 14 for retaining thel ends V*of*V the blade 13 upon the shank for pivotalmover ment. l j

The outer end of'thetshank 12 is reduced as s45" shown at 15 so 'thatthe diameter of-thehead-v 1li will netexceed the diameter of t-heinner end of the shank 12,'asclearlyillustratedin Figure 5 of the drawing and a retainingwasher 16isf ifnterp'osed betweentthe' heads 14 andtheoutermostlblade 13v in order to" prevent withdrawal ofthe head ofthe slianl'r from said blade.

The respective blades13 are connected to= each other in a manner similar to the'con- 95A nectiono'f' the arms of a lazy tong, thecross'` blades-being pivotally connected-'to eaeli` other as indicated at 17 and arrangedV con'- centrically about the screw `5. -1

The forward edge ofl'ea'cliof the blades 100 13 are formed with teeth 18 to facilitate the cutting of objects with which the blades come into contact. One of the blades extends slightly beyond its pivoted end, as shown at 19 and is provided with an opening for receiving a ring 2O whereby to attach a chain section 21. The projected end 19 of the blade is also bent inwardly to facilitate the riding of the end thereof over the seams of the pipe through which the cleaner is being drawn.

The chains 21 at each end of the cleaner are attached to a swivel coupling 22 composed of a pair of ring members 23 swivelly connected to each other by a pin 24, one of the rings 23 being provided for attaching the ends of the chain 21 thereto and the other of said rings being provided for attaching a pulling chain or cable by means of which the cleaner is drawn through the sewer pipe.

Each of the blades 13, adjacent one end thereof are provided with hooks 25 disposed inwardly of the blade for engaging obstacles encountered in the pipe, such as twigs or the like during the movement of the cleaner in one direction.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the cleaner is of a double ended construction so that the cleaning action will be produced while drawing the device forwardly and backwardly through the pipe.

In order to prevent engagement of the ends of Athe blade with the seams of the pipe an arcuate shoe 26 is provided having one end extended beyond the projected end 19 of the blade and curved inwardly toward the center of the cleaner. The inner face of the shoe 26 is formed with a recess 27 for receiving the head 14 and washer 16 and thus to form a cover for the same so as to protect the head and prevent the wearing downv of the same during the frictional engagement of the cleaner with the walls of the pipe.

The shoe is secured to the blades 13 by means of rivets 28 or the like. The ends of the screw 5 are constructed of a non-circular formation as shown at 28 for the purpose of receiving a wrench or other tool in order to provide for the adjustment of the screw for the purpose of expanding or contracting the blades 13. Through this adjustment it will be apparent that the diameter of the cleaner may be increased or decreased as desired to provide for the cleaning of pipes of various sizes.

In the operation of the cleaner it will be apparent that the same may be drawn forwardly and backwardly through the pipe and upon the engagement of the blades of the cleaner with branches, roots or similar obstacles within the pipe that the same not only will be drawn through the pipe with the cleaner but by reason of the toothed edges of the blades, such obstacles will be cut into smaller pieces and thus facilitate the removal thereof from the pipe.

It is obvious that my invention is siisceptible to various changes and modifications in construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I accordingly claim all such forms of the device to which I am entitled.

Having thus described my invention7 what I claim as new is:

1. A pipe cleaner of the class described comprising a screw oppositely threaded at its en ds and having spiders mounted thereon for opposite longitudinal adjustment on the screw, arms pivotally attached at one end to said spiders, blades pivotally attached to the opposite ends of said arms, and connected at their ends to each other in concentric relation about the screw, said spiders being operable to expand and contract the blades with respect to the screw and chains attached at the opposite ends of said blades for drawing the cleaner through the pipe in opposite directions, said blades being pivotally connected to cach other intermediate their ends in pairs with the ends of each pair of blades disposed in cooperative cutting relation.

2. A pipe Vcleaner of the class described comprising a screw havingoppositely threaded ends. spiders adjustably mounted on the ends lof the screw and adapted for movement in opposite directions, a plurality of arms pivotally attached at one end to said spiders, a plurality of blades connected to each other in a cylindrical lazy tong formation disposed concentrically about said screw, means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of said arms to the ends of said blades, hooks on the inner side of said blades and chains attached at the opposite ends of the blades for-drawing the cleaner through the pipe in opposite directions.

3. A pipe cleaner of the class described comprising a screw oppositely threaded at its ends. a spider adjustahly mounted on each end of the screw, a plurality of arms pivotallv attached at one end to each of said spiders, a plurality of blades connected to' each other in a cylindrical lazy tong formation disposed concentrically about said screw, lugs disposed at the outer ends of said blades providing` a pivotal connection for the outer end of said arms. said lugs having a shank extending through the blades for the pivotal connection of the ends thereof, a head formed on the shank disposed outwardlyof the blades for securing` the blades to each other. chains attached to the opposite ends of the blades for drawing the cleaner in opposite directions through the pipe and shoes secured to the pivoted ends of said blades having their outer ends turned inwardly and having recesses formed on their inner faces for receiving the head of said shank whereby to protect the same against contact with the Walls of the pipe during the movement of the cleaner therethrough.

4f. A pipe cleaner of the class described comprising a screw oppositely threaded at its ends and having spiders mounted thereon fork y opposite longitudinal adjustment of the screw, blades arranged in pairs with the blades of each pair pivotally connected to each other and having their respective ends disposed in cooperative cutting relation, pivot members connecting the ends of each pair of blades to an adjacent` pair of blades and arms extending from the spiders having their outer ends also pivotally connectedvto said pivot members for pivotally connecting the opposite ends ofeach of the blades to the spiders. v

5. A pipe cleaner of the class described comprising a screwoppositely threaded at its ends, spiders mounted thereonfor opposite longitudinal adjustment on the screw, blades arranged concentrieally about said spiders in pairs with each pair of blades pivotally oonnected intermediate their ends and having their ends disposed in cooperative cutting relation, meanspivotally connecting each end of each blade to an end of one adjacent blade and including a pivot pin having one end projecting beyond the plane of the blades and formed with a head, shoes-secured to the ends of the blades and covering the heads of said pins for protecting said heads from Wear and means pivotally connecting the Yends of the blades to the spiders.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

AUBERN E. WRIGHT. 

